Turbine construction



5- R. R/SNYDER TQRBINE CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 29, 1940 INVENTOR J W3? 19455 R. R. SNYDER I :TURBINE CONSTRUCTIQN :5 Sheets-Shet 5 Filed July 29, 1940 ENVENTOR fim flalr Patented Dec. 4, 1945 BINE CONSTRUCTION Raymond R. Snyder, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Automatic Turbine Drive Company, Inc., a corporation of New York Application July 29, 1M0, Serial No. 348,151

3 Claims.

My present invention relates tothe turbine art. and has particular reference to the construction and operation of hydraulic couplings for use with automotive transmissions.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a hydraulic coupling having a novel arrangement of parts for positively insuring adequate slip at low speeds.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide an improved apparatus for controlling slip in a hydraulic coupling. which automatically operates in accordance with the speed of rotation of the coupling.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an inexpensive slip control mechanism which is adapted for use with any type of hydraulic coupling, to either automatically or manually regulate the slip at any speed.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel method of control and a novel errangement of parts, more fully described in the ated in response to changes of speed of rotation of the coupling, and which cuts off or otherwise controls the power transmission at low speeds. To this end, I provide a multiple disk valve, which is interposed between the driving and the driven rotors in the path of the hydraulic fluid. and is movable to cut off the passage of hydraulic fluid at low engine speeds, the parts being arranged so as to freely permit the power transmission of the hydraulic fluid at operating speeds.

Referring to the drawings, the hydraulic coupling, H3 in Fig. 1, which may he of any standard type of construction, has a iiy wheel portion H which is secured to a driving rotor l2, as by means of peripheral bolts is, the driving rotor it! being spaced from the driven shaft as to which the driven rotor i5 is keyed. The driving and driven rotors are each provided with a plurality detailed description following, in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevation of the novel fluid hydrau lic coupling, the outer cover being broken away Fig. 8 is a view on the irregular line 8-8 of Fig.

5, showing the pressure pump and pressure fluid communicating ducts.

The use of hydraulic couplings for power transmissions, and particularly for automotive vehicles, has made it advisable to provide means for controlling the slip between the coupling rotors to obtain a maximum slip at low idling speeds, and to provide maximum emciency of power transmission at operating speeds. I have found it feasible to control the amount of slip by interposing a suitable arrangement between the driving and the driven rotors of a. hydraulic coupling, which is preferably automatically operof radial vanes 16 which form buckets Mia, and

are spaced apart asillustrated in Fig. 5. an inlet.

H for hydraulic fluid being provided adjacent the hub and communicating with a fluid passageway l8, formed between the driven shaft and an outer concentric housing IS; the housing has a passageway 21] which communicates with a fluid tank or reservoir maintaining hydraulic fluid under predetermined pressure, not shown, whereby the coupling is maintained full of fluid.

The driving rotor, see Fig. 5, is provided with a central flange portion 2 I, on which two cylindrical hubs 22 and 23 are mounted for rotation, suitable keys 24 being provided to prevent axial movement of the hubs; each hub carries a valve disk, respectively designated 25 and 26, see Figs. 6 and 7, the valve disks extending across the face of the driving rotor l2 and having their peripheries housed in a recess 21 in the fly Wheel II. The two disks are preferably made of thin stamped or cast material which has been machined, and

are secured to their hubs by a plurality of spaced rivets 28. The disks have a plurality of corresponding radial slots 29, 30. formed by radial bars 3|, 32, and the disk 28 has a plurality of fingers 33 extending laterally, the fingers 33 be-.

ing seated in peripheral grooves 34 of greater length provided in the disk 25, to thus obtain a corresponding, but delayed movement of the disk 25 as the disk 26 is turned as hereinafter de scribed.

As shown in Fig. 2, the vanes ii of the buck-1'. Ilia of the driving rotor are stepped as indicaz-z at 36 to provide seats for the radial bars 3! 5:1 32 between the slots 29 and-30 oi the twodies.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 4, two housings 31 are provided at diametrically opposite points of the fly wheel I I, the housings having elongated piston chambers 38 in which cylindrical pistons 39. are mounted for reciprocating movement, each piston having a. recess 46 to receive an upstanding tooth 41 secured to or iormed from the stock of the disk 25, whereby movement of the piston 39 produces a turning or a rotation of the disk 25. The recess 40 is sufliciently large to compensate for the angularity of the turning movement produced by reciprocation or" the piston. The piston 39 is preferably actuated by fluid pressure, the fluid entering through an inlet 62 at one end of the housing to exert hydraulic pressure on the corresponding piston end, the piston having a reduced portion 43 at the other end to serve as a seat for a compression spring i l; a relief port 45 is provided at the spring end, communicatmg' with the hydraulic coupling interior. l

A preferred means for obtaining hydraulic pressure for actuating the piston is illustrated in Fig. 8, and; includes a pump arrangement 45 which is keyed to the stationary housing 8 as indicated at 41, the pump having a plurality of radial slots 48 in which spring pressed pistons 48 reciprocate. The hub portion 56 of the driving member l2 has a cam recess 5! engaging the pistons, whereby rotation of the driving rotor produces sliding movement of the pistons 49, and thus pumps fluid, as the inflow end of the cam recess communicates with a fluid inlet passageway 52, and the outflow end communicates with an outflow passage 53 which has two branches 54 and 55 leading to the inlet openings 42 of the housings 31.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the outflow passage 53 has a relief passageway or port 56 communicating directly with the interior of the coupling, this relief port being of relatively small size in comparison with the flow passages 54 and 55, means being further provided, such as a manually adjustable bolt 51 for additionally adjusting the size of the by-pass opening 56, whereby slow rotation of the driving rotor does not actuate the control pistons.

The operation of the control may now be explained. When the impeller is rotating at low speeds, the action of the pump is not sufllcient, because of the relief bypass, to create a pressure greater than the pressure of the springs 44,

whereby the pistons 39 remain in the position indicated in Fig. 1, and the two disk valves 2,5 and 26 remain in the position indicated in Fig. 2, thus closing the buckets of the diivlng rotor and preventing flow of hydraulic fluid from the driving rotor to the driven rotor. Full slip is thus obtained between the driving and driven rotors, and there can be no creeping or other movementof the driven rotor, whereby easy gear shift ng can be obtained with any standard type of gear shiftlng mechanism. When the speed of the driving rotor is increased, the pump 46 begins to build up an excess pressure greater than can be dissipated -bel' by the bypass 5i, and thus produces movement of the pistons 32 to swing the upper disl: (as seen in Fig. 2) and partially uncover the buckets Ii; the finger 83 now contacts the end of the groove 34 and further swing of the dish 225 then brings a swinging movement of the dish 28, whereby both dislrs finally seat in position to completely open the buckets Ito and to provide free clearance for the hydraulic fluid, whereby maximum power transmission is obtained.

The amount of slip may be readily controlled by changing t1 2 strength of the spring ill, or by regulating the size of the passage through bypew it; if desired, a pressure relief valve may "ted in bypass, or may be mounted "licallv; the

in the pump, to be controlled hyd valve may for certain types of an mobiles be connected with the shift lover or the clutch pedal, so as to be under the direct manual control of an operator.

While I have described a speciii ontrol employed for my invention, it is obvious t. 5 changes in the arrangement of the parts, in the size and the mounting of the parts, and in their operation, may be made to suit the requirements for different hydraulic coupling designs, without departmg from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a hydraulic coupling, a driving rotor, a driven rotor, said rotors having opposed buckets, said driving rotor having an axial hub associated therewith. a disk valve mounted on said hub and rotatable to cut ofi fluid flow to and from the buckets of the driving rotor, and means responsive to fluid pressure changes produced by change of speed of the driving rotor for rotating the valve.

2. In a hydraulic coupling, a. driving rotor, a driven rotor, said rotors having opposed buckets, said driving roto an axial hub associated therewith, a disc valve mounted on said hub and rotatable to ofi fluid flow to and from the buclrets of the driving rotor, fluid pressure means for rotating said valve, and pump means positioned in said coupling and operated by the driving rotor to provide variable fiuid'pressure in correspondence with the speed of the driving rotor, for actuating said fluid pressure means.

3. In a, hydraulic coupling, a driving rotor, a driven rotor, said rotors having opposed buckets, said driving rotor having an axial hub associated therewith, a disk valve mounted on said hub and rotatable to out off fluid flow to and from the buckets of the driving rotor, fluid pressume means for rotating said valve, and pump means including slldable vanes mounted in said driving rotor and engaging said hub for providing variable 

